Hundreds of parents in Mt Lebo are unhappy with the state of math in our schools.
Hundreds. In fact, people are still signing the math petition, PETITION TO ASK THE MT. LEBANON SCHOOL DISTRICT TO REVIEW K-5 MATH CURRICULUM THE USE OF TERC INVESTIGATIONS
From what I understand, the math parents met with Dr. Steinhauer and Dr. Irvin (from Lincoln) in early summer. This was after the school board told the parents to sit down and be quiet. The math family most outspoken at the school board meeting, pulled their children out of Mt. Lebanon Schools. I cannot get any solid numbers (ironic, huh?) on how many children were pulled out of the school system due to the math program, but at least five families left one elementary school because of TERC Investigations.
Nothing has changed. Children are not taught how to stack and carry and borrow. Fourth graders are still reviewing addition!
Which brings me to the following question. What is the status of Deb Allen's contract? She was supposed to be gone three years ago.
19 comments:
Now Dr. Allen will be receiving a contract extension and salary increase...
Was the school they left JES or LES?
I believe it was Jefferson Elementary. Maybe a math parent can clarify that for us.
Elaine
Perhaps a parent can clarify the subject of the coffee shop meeting between the LES Principal and the Superintendent on day one of school.
I'd be more interesting in hearing a recording of those monthly pizza lunches the Super has with students.
Bet there is a lot of heavy lifting going on there.
The irony of this was just too much to pass up.
About five years ago, the super and certain school board members walked around telling everyone they could that enrollment was dropping because we had such an out of date high school. Families would take a tour of our school and some would say they chose USC or somewhere else just because of the condition of the high school. I won't use time here to question the credibility of these statements.
But now we have hard evidence that people are either not coming here or are pulling their kids out of school because of a math curriculum that does not keep up with the Jones'.
Instead of doing something positive about it, they have instead continued to sweep it under the rug.
1:05 PM, it gets better. http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-south/facet-of-elementary-math-curriculum-fractions-some-mt-lebanon-parents-671812/
Many elementary teachers, etc. live in USC. They don't use TERC in USC.
Elaine
Posti said Upper St. Clair uses Investigations:
http://jposti.blogspot.com/2012/11/more-on-math.html#!/2012/11/more-on-math.html
3:03 PM, what Posti doesn't say is that USC only uses it in First Grade. "Choosing an investigative approach for this grade level is commendable. "http://webinfo.uscsd.k12.pa.us/_schoolwires/district/pdf/reports/report062512.pdf See page 17.
However, look at page 15. They use Pearson EnVision for second, third, fourth and fifth grades.
a. EnVision was successfully adopted and implemented during the 2011-2012 school year in fourth and fifth grade. The adoption at the next two grades will continue the mathematics spiral of the program.
b. The 2012 editions are aligned to the current Common Core Standards adopted by Pennsylvania in 2011. The series aligns with our K-5 USC·USC objectives and NCTM Principals and Standards.
c. The program supports a mathematics environment that is inquiry-based both in content and in instructional techniques. There is much greater emphasis on the process standards, now called Mathematical Practices, such as abstract and verbal reasoning, critiquing, and modeling mathematics in a variety of ways.
d. The program does support the identified recommendations for expanding and enhancing excellence in mathematics education from the United States Department of Education Report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel in March 2008. These include:
• inquiry-based mathematics instruction
• increased balance of content and process standards
• strong emphasis on number sense and place value
development
• enhanced instruction in algebraic reasoning
• increased opportunity for alternative thinking and mental strategies.
e. This math program has digital and technological capabilities that align with the USC Strategic Plan goals for educational technology.
Elaine
Here is the administrative reaction to using Pearson enVision for second through fifth grades:
"The adoption of these new materials at the remaining grade levels is necessary to assure an appropriate presentation and progression of math topics as represented in the new Common Core Standards. Teacher training and support will be critical."
Wow! I don't think that much can be Tweeted.
Elaine
No doubt Common Core Standards will allow Leb0 Larry to hire domestics instead of imports.
Superintendent Goal 5 for 2012-2013
The Superintendent will collaborate and engage members of the school community.
He will tell them, "We are the math experts" just before he hires a math facilitator for the Mt. Lebanon teachers union. You know, the ones who all got a S rating for performance last year after they filed a grievance for higher pay.
Why doesn't anyone ask the kids what they think (perhaps NOT in the form of a math-essay problem)? Kids need to learn the cold hard facts. I can tell you that "word is on the playground" that they dislike their math teachers. I didnt understand what all the uproar was about until my math-strong kid started to incessantly complain about math. The kids blame their teachers for the curriculum so it must be hard for the teachers getting flack from the kids. Surely the teachers were able to give some feedback?
My math-weak child is lost in math, but more so with the new curriculum.
I can see signing the petition based on my children's reactions to math class the last few years. One is bored and one is lost.
If I were to teach my child I'd probably use Investigations, but admittedly I am not a teacher per se.
Did the families that pulled their kids home school or do private school?
My previous comment didn't make any sense. I misspoke about what I would choose to teach if I were a K-5 teacher or k-12 for that matter. Lol. Not the current math program. Truly I feel as if my kids that have gone through the change to the new math program have been screwed over and I have to personally re- teach my math-weak kid and reassure my math-strong kid that better math classes are coming.
8:11/8:28 PM, I thought that was the case. USC teaches a balanced approach, which I believe is what the math parents were recommending.
As far as home schooling vs. private school, I believe the parents have enrolled their children in private schools.
Elaine
Since this math approach is akin to a foreign language, perhaps parents can be offered a choice of which type they would like their child to be taught. Since this approach was brought to Mt Lebo, my husband and I have been re-teaching our kids math at home. Sometimes it gets quite confusing because have no idea what the kids are talking about with the completely far fetched ways they are trying to solve simple problems. As parents, I don't think we are math illiterate as we both individually have several graduate degrees that required math.
11:56 I hear ya!
It sounds like TERC is a right-brain math program, sort of like the school budget and the Superintendent's contract.
Here IS the big question... What is China, India and all the countries that smoke the US in education teach their kids?
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